Texte grec :
| [35,23] τούτους ἀνάγκη ὁμολογεῖν ὑμῶν εὐδαιμονεστέρους,
τῶν δὲ ἄλλων ὑμᾶς, πλὴν ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπων ἔτι
γένους, τῶν πολυχρυσοτάτων. τὸ δὲ χρυσίον λαμβάνουσι παρὰ
μυρμήκων. οὗτοι δέ εἰσιν ἀλωπέκων μείζονες, τἄλλα δὲ ὅμοιοι
τοῖς παρ´ ἡμῖν. ὀρύττουσι δὲ κατὰ γῆς, ὥσπερ οἱ λοιποὶ μύρμηκες.
ὁ δὲ χοῦς αὐτοῖς ἐστι χρυσίον καθαρώτατον πάντων χρυσίων
καὶ στιλπνότατον. εἰσὶν οὖν πλησίον ἐφεξῆς, ὥσπερ κολωνοὶ τοῦ
ψήγματος, καὶ τὸ πεδίον ἅπαν ἀστράπτει. χαλεπὸν οὖν ἰδεῖν ἐστι
πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν ἐπιχειρούντων ἰδεῖν τὰς ὄψεις
διεφθάρησαν.
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Traduction française :
| [35,23] It must be admitted that the people of India are
more fortunate than you are, but that you are more
fortunate than all others—with the exception of just
one more race of mortals, namely, those most rich
in gold. And their gold is obtained from ants.
These ants are larger than foxes, though in other
respects similar to the ants we have. And they
burrow in the earth, just as do all other ants. And
that which is thrown out by their burrowing is gold,
the purest of all gold and the most resplendent.
Now there are close to one another a series of what
might be called hills of gold dust, and the whole
plain is agleam. Therefore it is difficult to look
thereon in the sunlight, and many of those who have
made the attempt have lost their sight.
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